http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-as-daley-sorts-out-blues-20130506-2j3mc.html
Interesting. What I've been crapping on about a bit. Is Walters on LU?
But yes, I'll re-iterate what I've been saying. Doesn't matter who is selected in the backs if Daley doesn't to set up the forward pack to give NSW the best chance to win the middle.
NSW got worn down in the crucial 50-70 min period of games last year with QLDs big boppas and their efficient use of the interchange ensuring that they eventually got on top of NSW in the middle of the field. This in turn gave Thurston Cronk et al the momentum to do their thing.
In contrast Stuart used a more mobile pack with stints by Gallen, Watmough & Creagh at prop. The use of our fair dinkum props such as Tamou, Grant & Merrin (at the time he was) was also poor due to bad use of interchange and game time. Basically, Gallen is simply a gametime and ball hog. First cab off the rank in a set, two hit ups a set, trying to do it all on his own for 80 mins, each run and tackle incrementally reducing his effectiveness. Great for stats and inspirational it may be, but he's not going to beat an opposition pack of origin forwards on his own. Furthermore, he's undersized for a front line prop role at this level.
Props bend the line and get the opposition defence moving backwards. They need to make solid contact in every tackle against the opposition big bodies. It's about impact and effectiveness, not work load. The middle backrower and the acting half can get through the workload. The props need to be fresh with 45-50 mins total game time each. That's why NSW need a 4-man fair dinkum prop rotation which will take the battle to the QLD rotation, continually get fresh bodies in the middle and attempt to maintain the NSW momentum and territory gains of the middle into the final third of the match.
AH: Farah
PF: Tamou
PF: Grant
MF: Gallen
RF: Lewis
LF: Bird
IP: Woods
IP: Fifita
IF: Watmough
IF: Sims
That's what I'd go with at the mo.
Merrin misses out because he is not playing as a fair dinkum prop at the mo, and he can't be in the same team as a backrower with Gallen & Watmough because they all primarily play the same position, middle forward. Watmough can play a bit more on the left edge and fill in both Bird & Gallen who must each come off for a stint. Sims can sub Lewis on the right. Woods and Fifita are in the prop rotation with Tamou & Grant.
As a middle backrower, Gallen needs to know his place in the hierarchy. He comes after the two props on the field as cabs off the rank for hit ups. he can't be calling for the ball all the time and having the props holding their balls out there. the props can bend the line and get NSW moving much better than Gallen who bounces, runs sideways and goes for a limited second dig while the QLD defence is already setting up for the next tackle.
NSW need a smart use of the forwards, not fatiguing some of them and having others sitting on the pine for most of the game like Stuart did. They won't beat the QLD big bodies this way. Scott, Shillo, Hannant, Myles will probably be their prop rotation but they have options here with Kennedy, Lillyman, McGuire. A pack of primarily NSW backrowers up against their props in the middle won't win the battle. Thaiday on the right edge, Teo on the left, Parker in the middle for the injured Harrision. Another two will be picked from papalii, Gillett, McQueen, Taylor.............and the workload will be distributed to maintain impact and effectiveness like they've done the last 7 years. Fresh forwards in origin cannot be understated.
